Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-01-28

'naiiy gave up In despair, and came
near to believing that he had never been
lost in the redwoods, but had fallen
asleep on an enchanted hillside las
Grimm's people do) and dreamed the
whole thing.
1t was late in September of the follow
ing year before John Westwood felt able
to take his annual vacation from bust
ness cares. But the days grew SO warm
that he determined to break away from
the hot pavements and ceaseless noise of
the city, for week in the mountains.
But where? There were mountains
north of him, mountains east of him,
mountains south of him. He had only
to choose. The mountains to the north
were the Marin county branch of the
Coast range, of which Tamalpais is the
most prominent feature. But Tamalpais
is visible from the city, so they wouldn't
do The same fault attached to the
mo ntains to the east, that rise from the
arid San Joaquin plains. Mount Diablo
was heir great feature, and his Internal
majesty was plainly visible from the city.
To the south were the Santa Cruz noun
talns, in whose depths his short-lived
romance of year ago was enacted. 1t is
not strange that ignoring the charms of
Mendocino redwoods, which necessitated
a day or two of steamboat travel and
steeling his heart against Bonner lake
and the snowy Sierras (which were
rather far off into the bargain), he de-
cided to seek the bracing mountain air
in the Santa Cruz range. F. was
only few hours distant from the city,
and yet the place was wild, untrodden
Wilderness wilderness possessing the
great advantage of accessibility. One
had only to strike out from the station
at F. in any direction to lose himself
as he had once proved-in virgin
and primeval forest.
He had no hope of meeting his quon-
dam acquaintance again. If they had
been down at all, he felt sure they had
flown before that. He assured himself
that he would not have wished to meet
them, for they had treated him shah
billy. 1t was most contradictory i'm
pulse, then, that drew him the very first
day of his arrival past the redwood
cabin. If he had hoped for any sign of
his will wisp friends, however he
was disappointed. No sign of life was
about the place, and he avoided it in his
future rambles.
The large streams that flowed through
the forest were famous for trout, and to
trout-fishing he devoted himself, as
offering fewer opportunities for getting
lost than hunting the wary deer. Sc
with rod and line, plentiful supply OF
light literature, and sportsman's lunch
basket we'll filled, he would start out for
the day.
He was impartial in his choice OF
streams, and often angled in the one
that flowed near Hepsidam. He choose
that one to-day, and made his way W
the stream for long distance by leapine
from stone to stone, or by walking the
mighty length of the redwood trees that
lay, as they had fallen, in and across the
stream in every direction, and by wad-
ing with his water-defying boots in the
beautiful smooth stretches of water.
AT last he reached place he judged
favorable alike for angling and for read
ing. 1t was redwood trunk, soft with
messy growths, hid among mighty
boulders; and from this shelter his
line could play on smooth peb-
bly, pool that promised lots of trout.
Here he ensconsed himself comfortably.
baited his hook, flung his line out into
the stream, propped the pole up near
at hand (Which may be scientific way
to fish, but was quite in the way of a
lazy young man. stretched himself at
full length on his broad divan, chose the
most conversational novel his pocket
bore, and was soon deep in its pages.
Behind him rose an absolutely perpen-
dicular cliff, many feet in hight, dotted
from top to bottom with waving "five
finger" ferns. They were of such dense
and large growth that no portion of the
rocky wall was visible, and down
through the tops of the redwoods hun
dreds of feet above, and over the living
green curtain, the sun sent his flicker
ing rays. The trout were wary, and
gave him plenty of time to get inter-
ested in his book, which, being lively
summer novel, caused him soon to for
get the shyness of the denizens of the
stream. So in turning a page it acted
quite like a shock to his nervous system
when he saw his pole bend, and sud-
denly show symptoms of falling head
long into the stream. He caught it
with the mental ejaculation, at must
be big one to pull like that!" and
straightway his book was forgotten. He
lifted the pole and carefully began to
draw in the line, at the same time ad-
vancing to the edge of his nook to see
his game.
An exclamation of pain greeted his
effort to tauten his line, and there on a
rock in the brook he beheld his catch.
He gazed in CONSERVATION 1t the sight of
girl seated on the rock, and bending
over rosy bare foot, which bore in the
pink ball of tiny toe cruel black fish
hook. His effort to draw in the line
must have caused her acute pain, and
called forth the moan which smote on
his ears. Her head was bent, and her
hands were busy trying to draw out the
ugly barb